You’re enjoying a nice, relaxing shower after a lovely day at the beach. While you’re scrubbing the salt, sunscreen, and sand out of your hair, the shower suddenly goes ice cold. Then you remember: Your water tank holds only 50 gallons and you’re the third person to bathe today. You let out a scream worthy of Janet Leigh in the movie Psycho.

If this scene sounds familiar, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Consider replacing your old tank with a tankless water heater.

Tankless Saves Worry
Water tank heaters have a fixed capacity. Once the hot water has been used up, you have to wait at least another hour before the system brews a new batch. A tankless water heater heats only the water you use and offers it up continuously. Calibrated for output correctly, a tankless heater won’t leave you shivering as you rinse the soap out of your eyes. Read More

If you own a sink, you are probably one among many people to experience the irritation of scooping the remnants of dinner out of the drain. Those with the joy of a garbage disposal are at the advantage of not having to experience this messy and unfortunate tactile sensation; instead getting to experience the triumphant whir of unwanted scraps disappearing down the drain. As fantastic as garbage disposals can be in keeping your kitchen tidy and ick-free, however, they have their fair share of complications. Luckily, unlike a toilet or bathtub, you don’t have to be a plumber to fix your garbage disposable; what you do have to have is some tools and good tutorial.

Arguably, the most common problem with a garbage disposal is leaking. Leaking is generally caused by two main factors; either a broken pipe or faulty plumber’s putty. If you installed your garbage disposal yourself, the fix is as straight-forward as taking apart the disposal, replacing the damaged parts and putting it back together again. For someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of plumbing, a number of tutorials can be found online with a simple search. (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-leak-garbage-disposal-plumbers-putty-77914.html) While the idea of installing something yourself may be daunting, the information on garbage disposals is so easy to obtain it is often not worth hiring a professional to install, repair, or replace them. Read More

If you’re like me, cleaning a toilet is dead last on your list of favorite-things-to-do-on-a-Saturday. So how do you stretch the interval between scrubbings, yet still keep the bathroom a pleasant place to catch up on some light reading? One way is to drop one of those popular deodorizing cakes in the tank. Each flush releases a fresh scent, a blue swish of disinfectants, and the satisfaction that comes with clever housewifery. Unfortunately, those dissolving blue pucks can also have long-term and expensive consequences.

Have Your Cake But Please Don’t Eat It
Tank drop-ins were introduced in the 1990s and became so popular that they now dominate the market for toilet bowl cleaners. The initial formulas included some goodies like mothball-scented naphthalene, which, if ingested by a toddler intrigued with the pretty blue cake, causes some serious poison symptoms. They also included a strongly-scented carcinogen called PDB. Fortunately, these old formulations have been banned, for the most part.

Hand’s-Off Cleaning, Disinfecting, Deodorizing
Toilet deodorizers are made of a combination of disinfectants, surfactants, and fragrance. Surfactants are detergents that scrub with each flush so you don’t have to. The fragrances give you the option of having your toilet smell like a bowl of cherries. Disinfectants slay germs, minimize mold, and generally attack that wretched ring that your mother will point out whenever she visits. Read More

It is a known fact that leaky water pipes can cause you large sums of money in wasted water, pipe repair, repairs to your home from rot, and the expense of mold remediation. Each spring people take on the chore of spring cleaning and checking those pipes should be on the list of things to do. A small drip doesn’t seem like a big deal until you get your water bill, but what happens if that small drip is inside a wall? Rot and mold will occur if a leaky pipe is left unchecked. Rot and mold each cause extremely big and expensive problems.

Damage of Rot From Water Leaks
By the time you notice the signs of rot in your home from a leaky pipe, the cost is already astronomical. Lumps and bumps suddenly occurring under hardwood floors or linoleum are tell-tale signs that water damage has already begun. Paint and wallpaper peeling away from walls is another sign. Once lumps, bumps, and peeling begin to show you are running the chance of damage to the structure and furnishings in your home. As rot and moisture spread throughout your home other nastier things begin to happen. Along with the structural and cosmetic damages from the rot, you also need to be concerned with the health threat caused by mold

Danger of Mold From Leaky Pipes
The health threat from mold caused by leaky pipes is a serious one. By the time you see the mold, the health problems have already begun. Asthma, itchy skin, runny nose, sore eyes, sneezing, coughing, and sore throat are among the most common symptoms of mold. In young children and the elderly, these symptoms can lead quickly to respiratory issues. A musty smell also accompanies mold. Eventually the mold hidden away behind a wall or in your ceiling will become visible. Dark spots will begin to appear. These may be small, but even a small mold spot is a dangerous one. If you can see it then it has room to grow. Left unchecked, it will spread throughout your home. Then, you will have the expense of mold remediation to go through. This means having to vacate your home as mold remediation experts get rid of it. Read More

It is only natural that a homeowner deals with plumbing issues every now and again. However, if you are dealing with a plumbing problem every week that’s a sure sign that something else is going on. Plumbing problems left unchecked can lead to costly repairs and damage to your home. Here are a few signs that you may have a plumbing problem with your toilet.

Clogged Toilet
A clogged toilet once in a while is not an issue and is easily dealt with using a plunger, but if you are dealing with a clogged toilet every week then you may be looking at a bigger issue. It could mean that your septic tank needs service or that you have a pipe that has a hole or obstruction.

Backed Up Water
If when you flush your toilet and the water backs up, the first assumption is a clog. If the plunger doesn’t work, then you are dealing with water backing up in the line. A backed up sewer line needs attention. You could be looking at something relatively simple, but it could easily become a giant problem. A common cause is tree roots pushing into the pipe. Read More

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue Have a Plumbing Need? Let us Help You!

This month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and all of those that we hold dear and appreciate. At HIS Plumber, we appreciate each of every one of our customers. Let us come out and take care of any plumbing need you have so that your system will be in tip top shape.

Fedjina’s Corner

Last month we introduced you to Fedjina Lundy, our sponsor child from Haiti. Fedjina is a 4th grade student who lives with her mother and loves Jesus.

We have written to her and are still eagerly awaiting our first letter from her. In the meantime, we are delighted to have received her introductory letter to us!

Fedjina has told us that she lives in the city (or Lavil) with her mother Fedora Cajouse. Her father’s name is Ricardo Lundy. She has also told us that she has two siblings named Bassamdra Lundy and Ruth Nehemie Laforest.

Her best friend’s name is Mareo Milen and they met in their neighborhood. Fedjina’s favorite meal is rice, mashed beans, and vegetables and her favorite color is blue.

She loves jumping rope and her favorite scripture verse is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave HIS only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We are always striving to improve our service and therefore are thrilled to share that we now have a third vehicle on the road. By adding this new van, we can handle more jobs a day meaning less waiting for us on your end! As is the case with each of our vehicles, we have ensured that it is being run and operated by an honest tech who is very knowledgeable having over 15 years of plumbing under his belt. You can rest assured that your plumbing is in the right hands with any one of our technicians. This is just another way that we better serve your needs.

Fedjina’s Corner
At the heart, HIS Plumber is a plumbing company whose purpose and desire is to serve God. This is why our slogan is Serving the LORD through Serving your Needs. We believe that in everything we do, we should do it as if unto God. At the end of last year we had an amazing opportunity. We were able to begin sponsoring a child through Compassion International. For those unfamiliar with Compassion, they are an organization who deliver children and their families from poverty and teach them about Christ and HIS love for us. They are able to do this through the financial support of those willing to give and become sponsors. To learn more about Compassion visit them by clicking this link.

The child we are sponsoring is named Fedjina Lundy. Fedjina is an 11 year old girl from Haiti. Her birthday is September 8th. Her parents are unmarried and she lives with her mother. She enjoys reading, singing, and playing with her dolls. Her families duties include washing clothes, making the beds, and carrying water for her family. She is currently attending school where she does well in her classes. If she were here in the U.S. she would be considered a 4th grade student. Read More

It’s that time of year again. The temperatures are dropping, trees are losing what remains of their leaves, and we begin to get ready to put on the coats and gloves. Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas music is not far behind. In fact, if you listen carefully, you may already hear it coming from your neighbor’s house!

As what is considered to be “The most wonderful time of the year” draws near, we will sip on hot chocolate and egg nog, enjoy nestling around the fireplace with loved ones, and pile into the car to enjoy the Christmas lights going up throughout the town.

Nearly everyone agrees that the holidays, while wonderful, can easily be a very hectic and stressful time as well. Between deciding who’s family to visit this year and fighting your way through the Black Friday crowds to get the best Christmas gift for your 5 year old, it is easy to forget all about the plumbing lines in your home and ensuring their safety from the freezing weather. It may seem trivial in the midst of the hustle and bustle but taking time to winterize your plumbing system before severe weather can save you from tremendous hassle and grief.

Last Winter’s Epidemic

The 2013-2014 winter for Coweta, Fayette, and surrounding counties was one of the worst we have seen in a very long time. Temperatures dropped well below freezing and pipes were shattering all over town. We were personally flooded with phone calls from people who were effected from the freeze. We had hundreds of calls within a week’s time as did all other companys around. Some people were without water to parts of their plumbing system for up to a couple weeks simply because there were not enough plumbers in the Coweta and Fayette county area to keep up with the demand that came in.

One of the most important things that a homeowner should know is how to use their shut off valves. Simply knowing their locations, how they work, and ensuring that they do perform their job can be the difference between a plumbing problem and a plumbing nightmare. There have been numerous occasions that we have gone to a customer’s house to resolve a leak and found that, had they been aware of a valve or had it not been defective, they would have been able to save themselves a lot of grief.

For instance, you may have a toilet leaking upstairs. Maybe the supply line has burst or cracked. Perhaps the toilet itself is leaking at the Tank to Bowl connection. In either case, water is dripping onto the floor. Suppose you notice this on a Sunday night and you are unable to get a plumber out until the next morning. What do you do? You could put a bowl under the drip if accessible but, throughout the night it could overflow continuing to drip onto the floor and ultimately causing sheetrock damage to the ceiling below. What if you knew that you had a functioning shut off valve to your toilet where you could easily turn the water off to it for the evening? To some this may seem basic but we have encountered this exact scenario many times.

Which are My Most Important Valves?

The number of shut off valves you have in your home is determined by how large your house is and how many fixtures (faucets, toilets, etc) you have throughout it. Typically, you will have one Main Shut Valve inside where the water line enters your home. This valve is designed to shut water off to your entire home in case of emergency or if you were to leave on vacation. To the average homeowner, this is your most important valve.

The next most important valve in your system will be found above your Water Heater. When looking at your Water Heater from the front, the cold line is the line going into the right side of your Heater. You should have a valve located at this point. This valve is designed to shut off the entire hot water system in your house. In the event you have a pipe burst and you know it is hot water, you will be able to shut this valve off and still have cold water until a professional can come out and fix the problem.

Separate Valves for Each Fixture

In addition to these main two valves, most of the fixtures in your house should have valves on them. This would include every faucet, your dishwasher, washing machine, toilets, and refrigerator (if it has a built in ice maker). Some people have separate ice makers or hot water dispensers. Even your hose spigots should each have their own shut off valves. Read More

For years we have been performing Water Services for our customers in order to effectively get rid of all active and/or potential leaks in their plumbing system. The standard installation of a new service is to use a motorized trencher and create a trench from your meter (or well in some applications) to the point where the water line enters the house. While this process does effectively perform the task, it can take up to a year or more for the yard to look as it once did. After much research to find a better way to serve our customer’s needs in this area, we are proud to announce that we now are able to perform Trenchless Water Services!

What is a Water Service?

A Water Service is the term used to describe the water line that leaves your meter (or well), runs underground, and finally enters your home. There are a variety of pipes that may have originally been run in your specific scenario and some pipes are better than others. When we run a new service, we always use Polyethylene pipe. This is not to be confused with the Polybutylene pipe that was under class action lawsuit. Polyethylene is the best pipe available for an underground service. Unlike plastic and copper, it is flexible. This means that as roots grow near it, it is able to flex without breaking; and unlike Polybutylene, it will not develop pinholes throughout the system. Polyethylene also is able to flex up to three times its size without breaking. This is important as, during some harsh freezes, even the line underground can become frozen. The ability to swell makes it far less likely to crack if this were to occur.

Trenchless Water Services Means No Tearing up Your Yard!

Nobody wants to wake up, find water pouring from their front yard, and learn that they need to replace the entire line outside of their house. But having your yard torn up in the process makes the situation so much worse. Nothing can ruin your landscaping more than a large trench line from where the plumber ran his new pipe.

The ability to perform a Trenchless Water Service means that you don’t have to worry about the final condition of your yard. Rather than running a trench line through the entire distance, we dig two holes*; one at your meter and one at the point where the water line connects to the line in your house. We are able to cut the line at both locations and run our equipment through the existing pipe. This equipment allows us to “split” the current pipe as it pulls your new line through underground. When the process is complete, you have no more leaks and we fill the holes back in. Your yard looks just as good as ever. In most situations, you wouldn’t even know we where there.

*Note that some yards may require additional holes due to factors we cannot control such as length, incline of yard, and hardness of dirt. Read More